This invention relates to the field of television, and more particularly, to the augmentation of the display of a television program or a television program guide.
For many years, it has been the practice to transmit textual data with a television signal in a teletext or XDS format. At the television receivers, the user has the option of displaying the transmitted textual material instead of the television program. The audio component of the television signal is either reproduced as sound or muted.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an audio description of a television program, i.e., a sound bite, is reproduced simultaneously with the display of the program at a television receiver. Specifically, the sound bite is embedded in a television signal that contains an audio component and a video component. The television signal is transmitted to a plurality of television receivers and intercepted at one of the receivers. The video component is displayed on a monitor and the audio component is reproduced as sound. On command the sound bite is reproduced instead of the audio component.
According to another aspect of the invention, an audio description of a television program, i.e., a sound bite, is reproduced simultaneously with the display of a program listing of the program at a television receiver. Specifically, when the program listing is marked with an on-screen cursor, the sound bite is reproduced.